Foxborough Gardens residents are celebrating the restoration of two beautiful murals in the entrances of two six-storey housing blocks on the estate.
The murals date from 1961 and were created by William Mitchell, a leading British artist of the second half of the 20th century.
At the time Mitchell worked as a consultant for the London County Council (LCC) which built and owned the new estate.
Foxborough was one of the many new housing estates built by local authorities after the destruction of the Second World War when high quality, affordable housing was in short supply.
Mitchell’s work was commissioned to celebrate the new housing schemes and the work of the LCC which played an important role in supporting contemporary artists from 1957-1965.
But after 60 years the murals were in need of repair and restoration. Wind, rain and bright sunlight had all taken their toll on the murals, especially the wooden ones. Several pieces were also missing.
In response, the Foxborough Gardens Tenants and Residents Association
(TRA) started to publicise the existence of the work and research the history of the murals to raise the funds needed for restoration.
Open Days and Exhibitions, in conjunction with the Brockley Max Festival, publicised the existence of the murals.
The TRA then submitted grant applications and received a total of £28,000 from the Heritage of London Trust and the Pilgrim Trust. This enabled the restoration of both murals.
The project has been supported by HOLT, the Pilgrim Trust, Foxborough Gardens residents and Lewisham Council. Local children have been involved in the project as part of HOLT’s Proud Places programme.
William Mitchell, who died in 2020, was relatively unknown until recently. But his reputation is now on the rise with more than 16 of his works gaining Grade II Listed status.
The mural at the entrance the 153-199 Foxborough Gardens is of sculpted concrete. The wooden mura was created by sawing up old furniture and other pieces of wood.
Mitchell then glued these wooden pieces to a baseboard to make a mosaic which depicts abstract forms of birds, fountains, castles and sunbursts.